Overhead structure for trolley-conductors.



C. H DAVIS.

OVERHEAD STRUCTURE FOR TROLLEY CONDUCTORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. l9l3.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. H DAVIS.

OVERHEAD STRUCTURE FOR TROLLEY CONDUCTORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. I913.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEY 11:11 ttltv CHARLES H. DAVIS, 01? PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

OVERHEAD STRUCTURE FOR TROLLEY-CONDUCTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application filed May 7, 1913. Serial No. 766,178.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. DAVIS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Overhead Structures for Trolley-Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to supporting structures for trolley conductors, and it has special reference to the steadying of trolley conductors of high-speed electric railways.

The object of my invention is to simplify and improve the construction and operation of suspension structures of the above indicated character, and to provide an inexpensive and durable device of few parts that shall eifectively overcome the difticultles heretofore experienced in the use of devices of this general class.

It has been the customary practlce to employ the well known catenary form of overhead line suspension upon high-speed electric railways, whereby the trolley conductors are supported substantially parallel to the tracks without any sags. Thus, the rapidly moving trolley or current-collecting device is readily maintained in engagement with the trolley conductor, and the conductor is not subjected to excessive wear and deterioration by reason of poor electrical contact and heavy hammer blows at the points of suspension. However, when the catenary type of line construction is employed, a considerable lateral swaying movement of the trolley conductor may result from the passage of a car or from wind pressure which tends to disengage said conductor from the current collector. In order to overcome this difficulty, steadying arms have been employed which are pivotally mounted on the poles or supporting structures and which have them free ends attached to the trolley conductor, thereby serving to take the lateral strains and to maintain the conductor in its proper position. However, the heavy strains upon the conductor at the points of attachment to the steadying arms, as well as the weight and rigidity of the steadying arms, have tended to produce hard spots in the conductor by reason of the hammer blows which are delivered thereto by the rapidly-moving current-collecting devices, and the said hard spots have resulted in frequent breakages of the trolley conductor. 1

According to my present invention, I provide a steadying arm which effectively prevents any lateral displacement of the trolley conductor, while allowing free movement both longitudinally and vertically in the vertical plane of the conductor, thus eliminating the difliculties hereinbefore men tioned. The steadying arm is disposed be tween and in the plane of the catenary messenger and trolley conductor, and is provided with a longitudinally-disposed loop at one end that is adapted to fit loosely around certain of the hangers from which the conductor is suspended. The following advantages over the older styles of supports are presented by such a construction, as will be understood by those skilled in the art: It is very unlikely that any part of the steadying arm will ever receive more than a glancing blow from a wild current collector; thesteadying arm proper does not rest upon the trolley conductor and, consequently, said conductor is not depressed at any point; a free upward movement and uniform wave of the trolley conductor is allowed when the current-collecting device passes and, therefore, no hard spots are developed; and a suitably reasonable amount of longitudinal creepage of the trolley conductor in either direction is allowed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a. view, in side elevation, of a portion of an overhead line structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in end elevation of said structure; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of my supporting device; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views, in side elevation, in end elevation and in plan, respectively, of a modification of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the structure shown comprises a pole or supporting structure 1 having a laterally projecting supporting bracket 2 which is securely held in position by means of a tie or tension-rod 3, one end of which is attached to the bracket 2 and the other end of which is secured to the supporting structure 1. An insulator 4 is mounted upon the outer end of the supporting bracket 2 by means of a suitable clamping device 5. The insulator 4 and the clamping device 5 pertain only indirectly to my invention, and the specific construction thereof may be varied, so long as the devices are adapted to perform their intended functions.

A catenary'cable 6 is supported upon the insulator 4;, and a trolley conductor? is suspended from the messenger cable 6 at frequent intervals by means of suitable hangers 8 and associated clamps 9, in accordance with the practice usually employed in connection with catenary line construction. Obviously, any clamping device adapted to accomplish the desired result may be employed, and hence, I do not deem it necessary to describe the same, such devices being old and familiar to those skilled in the art.

Bolted to the clamping device 5, or. other wise suitably secured to the supporting bracket 2, is'asteadying arm 10, slantingly extending, in the vertical plane of the conductor 7, from the bracket 2 to the lower end of one of the hangers 8, and comprising a body member 11 of insulating material and suitable detachable upper and lower end caps 12 and 13, respectively. The upper end cap 12 serves to attach the steadying arm 10 to the supporting bracket, as stated above, and the lower end cap 13 is provided with an elongated ribbedend loop 1% that extends substantially parallel to the trolley conductor 7 and loosely incloses one of the hangers 8 a predetermined distance above the clamp 9. The slot .15 within the loop 1 1 has a transverse dimension but slightly larger than the diameter of the hanger 8, whereas, the longitudinal. dimension thereof is several times said diameter. It will thus be seen that any lateral movement of the trolley conductor 7 is substantially prevented, and movement of said conductor longitudinally and vertically in the vertical plane of the conductor is entirely free, Within predetermined limits imposed by the particular dimensions of the structure.

Reference may now be had to Figs. 4, 5 and 6., which disclose a somewhat more elaborate form of my invention. A plurality of the insulators 4 are mounted on the supporting bracket 2 by means of the clamping devices 5. A steadying arm 16 has its central plane of symmetry coincident with the vertical plane of the trolley conductor 7 and comprises two portions 17 and 18 substantially at right angles to each other. The portion 17 comprises a substantially 'rectangularly shaped and horizontally disposed cradle, the two longitudinally disposed side arms 19 of which are supported upon the insulators 4E and the two trans versely-disposed arms 20, of which severally I have alined depressions 21for receiving the messenger cable 6. The portion 18 com- .prises twodownwardly-extending rods 22 mutually converging from corresponding ends of the side arms 19 at one side of the insulators 1 toward the trolley conductor 7, and a plurality of longitudinally-eXtending lugs 23 disposed at intervals intermediate said rods. The lugs 23 severally have longitudinally-disposed and registering slots 15 similar to the slot 15 in the loop 14: of Fig. 2. Extending through the said slots 15, is a special hanger 2t having, at its upper end, a head 25 that is adapted to prevent said hanger from dropping through said slots. Suitably attached to the lower end of the hanger 24, at a predetermined distance below the steadyiug arm 16, is the clamp 9 to which the trolley conductor 7 is secured. It is evident that the limitations of movement of the conductor 7, hereinbefore recited with reference to Fig. 2, apply also to the structure just described. It will be understood that the special hanger 2% is employed in connection with the steadying arms 16 only, and that intermediate said arms the ordinary or other suitable hangers 8 are utilized to suspend the trolley conductor 7 from the messenger cable 6.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific structural details herein set forth, as many modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a trolley conductor-and supporting means therefor, of a steadying arm disposed in substantially symmetrical relation to the median plane of said conductor.

2. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a trolley conductor and supporting means therefor, of a steadying arm disposed in substantially symmetrical relation to the median plane of said conductor and adapted to prevent lateral movement thereof.

8. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a trolley conductor and supporting means therefor, of a steadying arm the longitudinal median line of which is substantially disposed in a common plane with said conductor and adapted to allow movement thereof in said common plane only.

4. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a messenger cable and suspending means associated therewith, of a trolley conductor secured to said suspending means, and a steadying arm the longitudinal median line of which is substantially disposed in the common plane of said messenger cable and said trolley conductor.

5. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a messenger cable and suspending means associated therewith, of a trolley conductor secured to said suspending means, and a steadying arm the longitudinal median line of which is substantially disposed in the plane of said conductor and which embodies portions inclosing said suspending means.

6. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a messenger cable, a support therefor, and a plurality of suspended members associated therewith, of a trolley conductor secured to said sus pended members and a steadying arm secured to said support, having its longitudinal median line substantially disposed in the plane of said conductor and embodying a longitudinally disposed end loop loosely inclosing certain of said suspended members.

7. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a support, a trolley conductor, and suspended means therefor, of a steadying arm disposed in the plane of said conductor and embodying a portion associated with said support and a portion having a plurality of loops inclos ing said suspending means.

8. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a support, a trolley conductor and a plurality of suspending members therefor, of a steadying structure embodying a cradle portion asso ciated with said support and a downwardlyextending portion having a plurality of longitudinally-disposed loops loosely inclosing certain of said suspending members.

9. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a plurality of supporting members, a trolley conductor, and a plurality of suspending members therefor, of a steadying structure embodying a substantially rectangular cradle portion associated with all of said supports and a downwardly-extending portion comprising a plurality of arms converging from said cradle portion toward said trolley conductor and a plurality of lugs disposed at intervals intermediate said arms and severally having longitudinally disposed mutually registering openings within which certain of said suspending members are adapted to move in the plane common with the trolley conductor only, and a messenger cable associated with said cradle portion intermediate said supports.

10. In an overhead structure for electric railways, the combination with a messenger cable, a support therefor and a plurality of suspended members associated therewith, of a trolley conductor secured to said suspended members, and a steadying arm secured to said support, having its longitudinal median line substantially disposed in the plane of said conductor and embodying a detachable end member having a longitudinally-disposed opening within which certain of said suspending members are adapted to moi e in the plane common with the trolley conductor only.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of April, 1913.

CHARLES H. DAVIS.

Witnesses F. I). KonLBEL, B. B. HINns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents, Washington, I). G. 

